Mexico v USA – Lunch with Chepo, Mexico’s National Team Coach

Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre (left) is the man charged with stopping the Americans in tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. He occupies the hot seat as the national team coach of Mexico. He took the job in 2010.

Two weeks ago, Chepo was in San Francisco admiring the stunning view from the Top of the Mark Hopkins hotel on Nob Hill. Along with Jeff Carlisle from ESPN, we talked futbol through a translator. Chepo’s English was pretty good, my Spanish shamefully weak. For lunch, I had some kind of mangled chicken strips in knots of savory sauce.

Chepo’s presence impressed. He measured his words carefully and thoughtfully. His professional definition sharp, born from a playing career at the top level of Mexican soccer. He was capped for Mexico 28 times. Trace his roots to a soccer family. His dad and uncle were players. Chepo is a football man to the core.

So what of the rivalry with the USA? “Traditionally, the US has not been a soccer country but this doesn’t mean the rivalry is not growing,” he said. “The games are a great sense of pride for the Mexican people. Yes, it will always be a special game.”

For many decades, the big wolf in the region was Mexico. Mexico took the field against the whimpering yelp called US soccer, a toothless mutt chased around its own sporting yard by guys with sticks and gloves or men in helmets and tights laughing in mocking derision. All good training for what was to come.

Around 1990, some fangs appeared on the US dog. Cans of money meat were opened. A World Cup came in 1994. Muscle grew. US soccer gnashed and barked until the neighbors looked over the fence to see what the hell the racket was all about. Ignore the new dog on the block at your peril. It wasn’t easy to lift the leg on the US post anymore.

Chepo had thoughts on the current American squad. “It is a strong team. They have a lot of players playing in England, Italy, and Germany. That means they play at a high competitive level. We know the type of players they produce. The US has always played to its strengths. They are fast. They have special players that make the difference.”

Mexico and USA are both underdogs in the bigger soccer yard. Playing each other, they feed on history’s beef – Mexico must prove they are still regional boss, the USA intent on pulling their chain. Emotions will be boiling tomorrow night in Mexico City.

Expect the calmest looking man in the Azteca cathedral to be Chepo.

A capacity crowd of 105,000 is expected. “I’m not always calm.” said Chepo. “I’m very temperamental but I always try to remain calm. Even though on the inside I might be very angry, on the outside I show a calm demeanor. The players are reading my expression so I try to have an even keel.”

Calmness is not the primary feature in Mexico’s sports media. The hacks are on a short leash. This past weekend the headlines have lamented Mexico’s slow start in the qualifying group – two ties in two games. The team is in a funk, they cry. A win over the northern nemesis is imperative. An opinion poll claimed 85% of Mexicans expect it.

“It is important that the team is calm and to fully understand the circumstances,” reflected Chepo. “We don’t have any pretexts. We are always responsible for what happens, that is what is in our hands. What is outside of our hands is not our issue. Focus on what you can have an impact on.”

Mexico fears no one. But in the past, El Tri has imploded at the moment when they needed to keep it together. Too many World Cups have ended in disappointment and recrimination. Whether it is ill discipline or bad luck, a strange kind of fatalism prevails. Chepo has the task of banishing the ghost.